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Old Wethersfield
Wethersfield Museum and Visitor Center at the Keeney Memorial
200 Main Street, Wethersfield, 860-529-7161
The museum’s permanent exhibition details the history of Wethersfield. Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Sunday 1-4 p.m. Gallery admission is $3 for adults, free to Wethersfield residents, society members and children 16 and under.The Wethersfield Visitor’s Center, in front of the Keeney Memorial, is fully accessible from the rear parking lot and elevator. Open same hours as museum.
The Buttolph-Williams House
Broad Street, Wethersfield, 860-529-0612
A short distance away from the Main Street houses, on Broad Street, the Buttolph-Williams House (c. 1715) evokes the influence of medieval English architecture and features authentic period furnishings. Open May 1 - October 31, Wednesday - Monday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Admission fee. The building is owned by the Antiquarian and Landmarks Society, and is managed by the Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum.
Broad Street Green
Wethersfield
Two blocks wide and two miles long, the Green is lined with handsome antique homes. Early settlers grazed their livestock here, and in 1781, General Washington assembled his troops on this ancient ground in preparation for the battle of Yorktown. Today, splendid old trees that soar up to 15 stories in height, including elms and an 1836 copper beech, shade the manicured grass and iron memorial benches.
The Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum
211 Main Street, Wethersfield, 860-529-0612
The Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum consists of three restored 18th century homes that showcase furniture and decorative arts from 1690 to 1840. The lifestyles of Joseph Webb, merchant (1752), Silas Deane, Revolutionary diplomat (1766), and Isaac Stevens, a leather worker (1788) are brought to life here. The Webb and Deane houses are National Historic Landmarks. The American Revolution was nearing its end when George Washington and Compte de Rochambeau made final plans for the Battle of Yorktown at the Webb House. These homes are part of a larger historic district—Old Wethersfield, Connecticut’s first permanent English settlement—with over 200 houses that date from the 17th to 19th centuries; 50 pre-date the Revolution. The museum is owned and operated by the Colonial Dames. Admission is charged. Open from May 1 to October 31, Wednesday through Monday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Closed Saturdays and Sundays from November to April and most national and religious holidays.
Old Academy Library and Wethersfield Historical Society
150 Main Street, Wethersfield, 860-529-7656
Over 200 researchers visit the library every year seeking their genealogical roots or to research Wethersfield history. In addition, volunteers respond to written inquiries. Located in the 1804 Old Academy building, its shelves contain some 1,000 books, local and regional histories, rare books and manuscripts, account books, logs, journals, newspapers, maps, charts and an extensive photographic history of town events, buildings and people. Open year-round, Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. and by appointment.
Glastonbury
Museum on the Green
Corner of Main and Hubbard Streets, Glastonbury, 860-633-6890
The Historical Society of Glastonbury occupies the original Town Hall. The nearby Historical District is a showcase of 18th and 19th century homes. The original Town Green hosts the Art Guild’s annual art show and, in the summer, Concerts on the Green and the annual Antique Festival on the Green. Native American, agricultural and industrial exhibits chronicle the town’s early history. Documents and genealogical materials are also available for research. The historical society is open for tours.
Connecticut Audubon Center
1361 Main Street, Glastonbury, 860-633-8402
Located next door to the 48-acre Earle Park, the Holland Brook Center is maintained by the Audubon Society of Connecticut. The center features local live wildlife and plant exhibits, a gift shop and year round nature-related programs. A hands-on area for children completes this Glastonbury gem. Open: Tues-Fri, 1-5 p.m.; Sat, 10 am-5 p.m.; Sun, 1-4 p.m.; Closed the last week in December.
Cotton Hollow Preserve
Hopewell Road, Glastonbury
Roaring Brook runs through the preserve providing some of the best white water in the state. Three miles of Class IV water with about a dozen significant rapids is everything the white-water enthusiast could wish for. To a hiker’s delight, several paths wind along the brook to the impressive ruins of an 18th and 19th century industrial center.
The Welles-Shipman-Ward House
972 Main Street, Glastonbury, 860-633-6890
Built in 1755, the Gideon Welles House (c. 1755) was slated for razing in 1935 when Dr. Lee J. Whittles and like-minded citizens acted to save it. The house was moved to a nearby lot in 1936 and the Glastonbury Historical Society was born. The house and its 18th century-style herb gardens and vintage barns is open to visitors.
Rocky Hill
Dinosaur State Park
400 West Street, Rocky Hill, 860-529-8423
Connecticut’s “Jurassic Park” is open all year for walking tours. This National Landmark opened in 1968 two years after 2,000 dinosaur tracks were uncovered during excavation for a new state building. Well-labeled nature trails meander past the plant and animal life of a swamp forest. In the arboretum plants representative of the Mesozoic Era thrive.
The Rocky Hill-Glastonbury Ferry
Rocky Hill, 860-443-3856
This is the nation’s oldest continuously operating ferry. Since 1655, it’s served as a vital link between Rocky Hill and Glastonbury. Historically, the ferry was operated by local families but is now owned by the State of Connecticut and operated by the Department of Transportation. The ferry operates from May 1 through October 31: Monday-Friday 7 a.m.-6:45 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. $5 per car and driver, $1.75 per passenger.
Rocky Hill Historical Society and Academy Hall Museum
785 Old Main Street, Rocky Hill, 860-563-6704
Formed in 1962, the Rocky Hill Historical Society‘s first mission was to save the Academy Hall. It was built in 1803 as a navigation school to teach young sailors and future sea captains. The library contains book collections, manuscripts, stories, oral histories, photographs and maps, and is open for research. The Academy Hall Museum displays farm implements, military items, maritime history, technology and costumes.
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CENTRAL RIVER VALLEY
Cromwell
Players Club at River Highlands
One Golf Club Road, Cromwell, 860-635-5000
Golf pros, celebrities and aficionados flock to Cromwell in late June for the PGA Travelers Championship. Played at River Highlands high on a bluff above the Connecticut River, this is the largest professional sports event in the state.
Middletown
Wesleyan University
High Street, Middletown
Founded in 1831, Wesleyan University is one of the country’s oldest Methodist institutions of higher education. Twenty-seven hundred undergrads and about 400 graduate students share the campus and contribute to the science-and-art contemporary-college-town atmosphere Middletown enjoys. A walking tour of the historic campus reveals architecture treasures that include the Washington Street Greek-revival Russell House fronted by massive Corinthian columns. Across the street, the Davison Art Center’s (circa 1843) pink Mediterranean facade rubs shoulders with Queen Ann, Tudor and brownstone examples of the gracious evolution of the campus and the city. Henry Bacon, who also designed the Lincoln Memorial, designed the Olin Library, built in 1928 on Church Street. Visit: http://www.wesleyan.edu/about/middletown.html
Main Street, Middletown
Wesleyan University and its students set the tone and pace for a main street and downtown that have undergone a dramatic renaissance in recent years. An easy walk from campus there are bookstores, clothing and jewelry stores for every fashion taste, gift and card shops, home decorating and framing shops, a hardware store, sporting goods emporium, hobby shop, news stand and all the services necessary to everyday life. Art exhibits, museums, lectures and the annual Connecticut River Regatta round out an unending list of things to do.
Lyman Orchards
Junction of Routes 147 & 157, Middlefield
Generations of Connecticut families and visitors have made Lyman Orchards a year-round destination for great food, family fun, and championship golf. Starting in May, enjoy delicious breakfast fare in a beautiful country setting! Open weekend mornings through early October.
Kidcity Children’s Museum
119 Washington Street, Middletown, 860-347-0495
Kidcity Children’s Museum celebrates a child’s natural curiosity with a hands-on play space where children ages 1 through 8 are welcome. Located in the 1835 Camp-Sterns House that moved 400 feet down Washington Street, was renovated, enlarged and is filled with one-of-a-kind interactive exhibits.
Wadsworth Mansion at Long Hill Estate
421 Wadsworth Street, Middletown, 860-347-1064
This was the summer residence of Colonel Wadsworth who was an authority on the emerging science of forestry and conservation. Designed by the N.Y. architecture firm, Hoppin and Koen, it rivaled the “cottages” of Newport, RI. Middletown citizens funded a late 1990s rehabilitation of the mansion and immediate grounds. Today the mansion is a favorite site for weddings, celebrations and cultural activities. The public is invited to walk through the parkland at anytime or tour the mansion on Wednesdays only.
www.wadsworthmansion.com.
Portland
Brownstone Exploration & Discovery Park
161 Brownstone Avenue
, Portland, 866-860-0208
The first stone quarried here in 1690 and by 1783 it was Brainerd Quarry Company where more than 1,500 workers quarried the rock transported on Brainerd ships eight months a year. From 1833 to 1884, quarry proceeds were deeded to Wesleyan University and stone from the quarries was used to construct campus buildings. Floods in 1936 and the 1938 hurricane flooded the quarries and ended the operation. Today, Connecticut Brownstone Quarries has a limited operation providing stone for restoration. The town purchased the quarries and adjacent land, and leased them to Brownstone Exploration & Discovery Park—an adventurer’s paradise of Scuba diving in the flooded quarries, climbing, rappelling, zip lines, a 100-foot water slide and “water toys” including canoes, kayaks and windsurfers plus camping facilities. Educational programs available.
East Hampton
Hurd State Park
East Hampton
Located roughly 10 miles east of Middletown, the park is a destination for a variety of outdoor activities including hiking, freshwater fishing, rock climbing and cross-country skiing during the winter months.
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DOWNRIVER
East Haddam & Haddam
Goodspeed Opera House
6 Main Street, East Haddam, 860-873-8664, Box Office: 860-873-8668
Built in 1876, the Goodspeed Opera House opened in October 1877. The opera house originally staged comedy and high drama. During WWI it was used as a militia base, became a general store and a Connecticut Highway Department storage depot before Goodspeed Musicals purchased it in 1959. After a total refurbishment, the theater was dedicated in June 1963. Today it is renowned worldwide for its musical theatre productions. The beautiful old theater building on the banks of the Connecticut River is not only treasured by theater-goers but is also one of Connecticut’s enduring treasures.
Thankful Arnold House
Hayden Hill & Walkley Hill Roads, Haddam, 860-345-2400
With its 18th and 19th century furnishings and artifacts, and gardens replete with herbs and flowers, the house has a bell-shaped profile and gambrel roof. Built in three distinct stages between 1794 and 1810, it shares a glimpse into Widow Thankful Arnold’s life in the late 1820s. Now home to the Haddam Historical Society, it remained in the Arnold Family until the 1960s. The resident “ghost” conducts tours Mon. to Fri. from 10 am to 3 pm.
Haddam Meadows State Park
Haddam, 860-663-2030
It’s located on the wide, channel-side floodplain that made it an important shipping point during the 1800s. Today the meadows are ideal for cross country skiing and dog sledding in winter and field sports in spring and summer. With one of the state’s busiest boat launches, anglers find terrific fishing, and hikers enjoy its variety of wildlife, birds and butterflies.
Devil’s Hopyard State Park
366 Hopyard Road, East Haddam, 860-873-8566
An 860-acre state park that’ s an idyllic spot for bird watching, picnicking, fishing, camping, and hiking. But the real draw is Chapman Falls, which drops more than sixty feet over a Scotland Schist stone formation. Old tales abound around the origin of the parks name but the most popular is that a man named Dibble, like others in the area, grew hops here to use in the brewing of beer — thus Dibble’s hopyard” probably became today’s “Devil’s Hopyard.x
Gillette Castle State Park
67 River Road, off Rte. 82, East Haddam, 860-526-2336
The outrageous 24-room oak-and-fieldstone hilltop castle, modeled after medieval castles of the Rhineland and built between 1914 and 1919 by the eccentric actor and dramatist William Gillette, is the park’s main attraction. Tour the castle and hike on trails near the remains of the 3-mile private railroad that chugged about the property until the owner’s death in 1937. Gillette, a Hartford native, wrote plays about the Civil War and was beloved for his play Sherlock Holmes in which he performed the title role. His will demanded that the castle not fall into the hands of “some blithering saphead who has no conception of where he is or with what surrounded.” Park free, castle $5. Open: Park daily 8-sunset; castle Memorial Day-Columbus Day, daily 10-4:30.
Antique Carriage and Sleigh Museum of New England at Allegra Farm
Route 82, East Haddam, 860-873-9658
For almost forty years this authentic livery stable has transported visitors to the 19th century by way of pony rides, carriage rides or seasonal sleigh and hay rides. Beyond those pleasures, Allegra Farm’s carriage service caters to family celebrations, parades, community events, and even funeral processions, and is available all over New England and the tri-state area.
Chester
Main Street, Chester
Main Street is the heart of picturesque Chester. Its peaked rooflines, gaily-striped awnings and window boxes brimming with bright blooms invite you to explore the mélange of shops, eateries and galleries. Annual events enliven downtown all year round: Winter Carnivale, May Day Night, Town-wide Tag Sale, Midsummer Night’s Stroll, Four on the Fourth (a road race), Chester Fair, Lobster Festival, Come Home to Chester Days, Pumpkin Festival and Holiday Night.
Leif Nilsson Spring Street Studio and Gallery LLC
One Spring Street, Chester, 860-526-2077
Contemporary Impressionistic painter, Leif Nillson makes Chester his home and the subject of many of his en-plein-air paintings, and the gallery his creative core. His works, also mounted in galleries from Florida to California, are featured in corporate art collections. He also paints portraits, teaches painting and crafts frames for his work. The gallery is open Weekends noon - 6 p.m.
Other times by chance or appointment.
The Norma Terris Theatre
33 North Main Street, Chester, 860-873-8668
Named in honor of actress Norma Terris, this offshoot of Goodspeed devotes itself to developing new musicals and emerging artists. Formerly the Susan Bates company’s factory building—that the company donated to Goodspeed in 1982—this 200-seat theater opened its doors in July 1984 with the new musical — Harrigan ’N Hart.
Chester Charter
Off Rte. 9, Chester, 860-526-4321, 800-752-6371
Tiny Chester Airport is home to Chester Charter that offers scenic flights over the lower Connecticut River Valley either in a single-passenger, open-cockpit, 1941 biplane or in multi-passenger, modern Cessnas. Bring your own bomber jacket. Call for rates. By appointment
Chester-Hadlyme Ferry
148 Ferry Road, Chester, 860-526-2743
This is a very short trip into River history! The Chester-Hadlyme Ferry first ferried passengers in 1769, and is the second oldest continually operating ferry in the country (the oldest is upriver in Rocky Hill). Although the trip across the Connecticut to Hadlyme aboard the Selden III is swift, you’ll still catch nice views of the Valley and Gillette Castle. Vehicle and driver $3, walk-ons $1 Open: Apr.-Nov., weekdays 7-6:45; weekends 10:30-5.
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Mouth of the River
Essex
The Connecticut River Museum
67 Main Street, Essex,
The old Steamboat Dock in Essex Village was built in 1879 and is home to one of Connecticut’s most treasured resources: the Connecticut River Museum. This National Register site chronicles the long, proud history of the Connecticut River, its role in early colonization and its impact on the state’s evolution to modern day. The Connecticut River is a National Heritage River and is listed by The Nature Conservancy as “One of the Last Great Places.” Open year-round, but between mid-January and mid-March, take along binoculars, warm mittens and earmuffs because Winter Eagle Watch cruises, sponsored by the Connecticut Audubon Society, leave the dock on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 a.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Book passage by calling Connecticut Audubon EcoTravel toll-free at 860-996-8747. All cruises are $30 per person.
The Pratt House Museum
18 West Avenue, Essex, 860-767-1191
This small museum occupies one of Essex’s oldest residences, and is owned and operated by the Essex Historical Society. Displays include 17th and 18th century furnishings, ironwork from the former Pratt smithy and an authentically restored herb garden. Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m., June through Labor Day. Free.
Essex Art Association
North Main Street, Essex, 860-767-8996
For over 50 years, this historic gallery above the village has presented association member’s works in four invitational and juried shows that are hung each season. Daily, 1 to 5 p.m., April through October. Free admission.
Essex Steam Train & Riverboat Ride
The Valley Railroad Company, Railroad Avenue, Essex, 860-767-0103 or 800-ESSEXTRAIN
Vintage steam locomotives and railcars take passengers on a one-hour train ride or a combination train ride and riverboat cruise that includes a 12-mile ride on a restored steam train, followed by a one-and-one-half hour cruise on the Connecticut River. The cruise is optional, with all but the last train of the day connecting with the cruise boat. Visit www.essexsteamtrain.com or call 860-767-0103 or 800-ESSEXTRAIN.
Ivoryton Playhouse
103 Main Street, Ivoryton, 860-767-7318
America’s oldest professional, self-supporting summer theater is now open year-round. Comedies, dramas, and holiday and family productions. Current season information at IvorytonPlayhouse.org.
Museum of Fife and Drum
62 No. Main Street, Ivoryton, 860-767-2237
All the trappings of the fife and drum company with a little “Spirit of ‘76” mixed in. The Museum of Fife & Drum mounts a unique collection of artifacts that highlight America’s parades from Revolutionary times to today: drums, fifes, military swords, music, uniforms, medals, awards and photographs. It’s a short walk from the Essex Steam Train, fine dining and the Connecticut River. June 30 thru Labor Day weekend Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 5.
Lyme
Selden Neck State Park
Lyme
Selden Neck is actually an island—the largest in the Connecticut River, and it stayed in the Selden family from 1695 into the 1860s. Accessible only from the water and now uninhabited, the 607-acre island’s habitat of tidal marshes and lush woodlands surround the remains of an abandoned quarrying operation and the old homesteads. Rising to an elevation of 230 feet, its hiking trails are demanding and rewarding. Four primitive camping areas offer a view of the lower Connecticut, 275 additional acres of Nature Conservancy land and silence broken only by the whisper of the river waters and the wind in the treetops.
Old Lyme
Florence Griswold Museum
96 Lyme Street , Old Lyme, 860-434-5542
This National Historic Landmark, the restored former home of Miss Florence Griswold, was built in 1817 on the Lieutenant River. Features an outstanding collection of American Impressionist works and the original artworks her talented boarders painted directly on the dining room wall panels. Guided tours: open year-round—June–December, Tuesday–Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m.; January–May, Wednesday–Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. First floor of the main house is wheelchair accessible.
Griswold Point and Great Island-Roger Tory Peterson Wildlife Area
Parking off Route 156, at White Sands. Beach; views and boat launch on Smith’s Neck Road
This beautiful sand spit may be hiked year-round. Access is possible by canoe or kayak and limited by car or bicycle. It is a nesting site of piping plovers and least terns, and the Nature Conservancy fences off the nesting areas. Observe Connecticut’s largest colony of ospreys from late March through fall. Open year-round, dawn to dusk. Great Island is accessible only by boat.
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